How Ferguson's citizens can take back power

By Dorothy A. Brown

updated 7:57 PM EDT, Thu August 14, 2014

Protesters march in Ferguson, Missouri, on Thursday, August 21. The St. Louis suburb has been in turmoil since a white police officer, Darren Wilson, fatally shot an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, on August 9. Some protesters and law enforcement officers have clashed in the streets, leading to injuries and arrests.

A crowd gathers in Ferguson on August 21. With the situation appearing to calm, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered the Missouri National Guard to begin withdrawing from the city.

Police escort a Wilson supporter to a police vehicle, away from crowds protesting Brown's death on Wednesday, August 20. Police have said Brown and Wilson struggled over the officer's gun; some witnesses said Brown had his hands in the air when he was shot.

Lightning streaks over protesters on August 20.

Demonstrators protest on August 20.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder meets with Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol at a Ferguson restaurant on August 20. Holder came to Missouri to talk to community leaders and review the federal civil rights investigation into Brown's shooting.

Protesters march through the streets of Ferguson on August 20.

Police point out a demonstrator who has his arms raised before moving in to arrest him Tuesday, August 19.

People watch from inside a restaurant as protesters rally August 19.

Police arrest a demonstrator on August 19.

Police charge into the media work area with weapons drawn as they try to control demonstrators on August 19.

A protester speaks to a police officer on August 19.

People on August 19 stand near a memorial where Brown was shot and killed.

Protesters march on August 19.

Police watch as protesters march August 19.

A demonstrator is arrested on August 19.

Police try to control protesters on Monday, August 18.

Police lead a man away during a protest August 18.

A demonstrator shouts during a protest on West Florissant Avenue, one of Ferguson's main streets, on August 18.

Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol pulls his men back from aggressive protesters on August 18.

Police arrest a demonstrator August 18 after peaceful protests gave way to angry confrontations with authorities.

Law enforcement officers stand guard during a protest on West Florissant Avenue on August 18.

A woman helps a man affected by tear gas August 18. The situation overnight deteriorated after a handful of protesters threw rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails at police. Officers responded by firing stun grenades and tear gas canisters.

Officers stand with weapons drawn during a protest on West Florissant Avenue on August 18.

Musician Nelly, center, joins demonstrators in Ferguson on August 18.

Demonstrators receive red roses as they protest August 18.

Demonstrators march on August 18.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson shakes hands with a police officer as he visits Ferguson's demonstration area on August 18.

A protester picks up a tear gas canister on Sunday, August 17.

Police wait to advance after using tear gas to disperse protesters August 17.

Water gets poured into a woman's eyes after a tear gas attack by police on August 17.

A man runs through clouds of tear gas on August 17.

Protesters react as police fire tear gas at them August 17.

Police advance through a cloud of tear gas on August 17. Most of the crowd had dispersed after a curfew went into effect at midnight, St. Louis County authorities said.

People take cover from tear gas inside a McDonald's on August 17.

A large group of police officers advance toward protesters on August 17.

A man fights the effects of tear gas in Ferguson on August 17.

Michael Brown Sr. and Lesley McSpadden, the parents of Michael Brown, attend a rally at Greater Grace Church in Ferguson on August 17.

The Rev. Al Sharpton hugs McSpadden during the rally.

Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol speaks at the rally. He had been appointed by the governor to take control of security operations.

Demonstrators defy a curfew early on August 17.

Police fire tear gas at demonstrators after curfew on August 17.

A law enforcement officer aims his rifle August 17 after tear gas was fired to disperse a crowd.

People scramble as police fire tear gas on August 17.

Law enforcement officers check a building on August 17.

People attend a protest after the midnight curfew on August 17.

A law enforcement officer watches as tear gas is fired to disperse a crowd on August 17.

Police stand guard before the midnight curfew on Saturday, August 16.

People loot the Ferguson Market and Liquor store on August 16. Several businesses were looted as police held their positions nearby.

Missouri State Highway Patrol officers listen to taunts from demonstrators during a protest on Friday, August 15.

Demonstrators protest with their hands up on August 15. The "hands up" gesture has become a symbol in protests as Brown, according to eyewitnesses, was trying to surrender when he was shot multiple times.

Police confront demonstrators on August 15.

A demonstrator throws a tear gas canister back at police on August 15.

Police confront demonstrators on August 15.

Thousands of demonstrators march down a Ferguson street with members of the St. Louis County Police and the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Thursday, August 14.

Demonstrators hold signs as traffic moves slowly past them on August 14.

State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson smiles at demonstrators on August 14. Johnson was appointed to lead security as state troopers took over after days of clashes between protesters and local police.

The Rev. Traci Blackmon uses a megaphone to talk to a large group of demonstrators on August 14.

A man picks up a flaming bottle and prepares to throw it as a line of police advance in the distance on Wednesday, August 13.

Police stand in clouds of smoke as they clash with protesters on August 13.

An Al-Jazeera television crew runs for cover as police fire tear gas at its position on August 13. Video and images on social media showed police later breaking down the journalists' gear.

(CNN) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has appointed Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a black man, to take over the security on the ground in Ferguson. The President has issued a call for calm in the wake of a weekend police shooting that left teenager Michael Brown dead.

Hopefully we will not see a repeat of the chaos of Wednesday night, when protesters clashed with police. At this point, we ought to be thinking about what the best outcome for the citizens of Ferguson and the family of Michael Brown will be.

Monday night I was at a reception for civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis where he spoke eloquently about the importance of voting. Anyone in the black community who says voting is a waste of time because "they don't care about us" should take a good, hard look at Ferguson, Missouri.

Dorothy A. Brown

Almost 68% of its citizens are black and just under 30% are white. Five of six city council members are white, the mayor is white, the chief of police is white, and its police force has 50 whites and three blacks. (By the way, has anyone seen any black police officers in Ferguson?)

To me the miracle of Ferguson is that the citizens have had the courage to stand up to a power structure that generally does not include them. They are finding the resilience to fight against their oppression, as they appear to have been living in a police state for a very long time. A Missouri Attorney General report on racial profiling last year showed that there were 611 searches in Ferguson: 562 of blacks; 47 of whites; one of a Hispanic; and one of a Native American.

Although whites represent almost 30% of the population, they represent less than 10% of those stopped, according to the report. Many people may think those statistics don't look unusual because they genuinely believe blacks are more likely to commit crimes and should be stopped and searched more frequently. But consider that in instances where contraband was found, a higher percentage of whites (34%) who were stopped had contraband when compared with blacks (22%).

Against this backdrop, the citizen protest Wednesday night over Brown's death, in the face of a militarized response, was courageous. Why? Because the police in Ferguson are clearly out of control. They have tear-gassed and reportedly shot rubber bullets at demonstrators. They have arrested two reporters -- one of whom works for the Washington Post and was wearing his press credentials around his neck at the time, the other from the Huffington Post.

Obama: Now is the time for peace, healing

Highway patrol to lend Ferguson security

They have pointed high-powered rifles at unarmed citizens in front of cameras; they have refused to identify themselves when making arrests; and they have refused to identify or arrest the police officer who killed Michael Brown. The chief of police says he won't release the name because of fears for that officer's safety.

Now that he is in charge, perhaps Johnson will have confidence in his ability to not only guarantee the safety of the police officer, but also the safety of all the citizens of Ferguson. Witnesses say Michael Brown had his hands in the air when he was shot repeatedly by the police officer. The medical examiner's report will put any speculation to rest; Michael Brown's body will speak from the grave. But what will his legacy be for Ferguson, Missouri, and the nation?

Elected officials don't have to care about black citizens as long as they don't fear them at the ballot box. Every member of the city council who has sat by silently while citizens were treated like second-class citizens should be voted out of office; Michael Brown's death must result in one of the largest voter registration drives in the history of the state of Missouri. That would be a lasting legacy for such a senseless and untimely death.